One-shot set immediately after "All Hell Breaks Loose" Prue and Piper get a chance to say goodbye.
Disclaimer-I do not own Charmed or the characters.
Transitions
Prue felt the pain in the back of her head as it hit something solid and then felt that same solid object turn to rubble as the rest of her body passed through it. Everything blacked out around her. She tried to shake it off and willed herself to get up and finish the fight, but she soon realized that not one muscle in her body could move in response.
She felt helpless when she heard the sickening sound of someone crashing through a wall and landing next to her. "Piper," she thought. Her sister was in trouble and possibly dying and there was nothing she could do about it. It was her last thought as she focused on opening her eyes and seeing through the darkness. Her efforts finally began to work as the darkness turned lighter. The light was dim at first, but then it began to turn brighter and brighter, too bright. This was not an earthly light. Prue recognized this brightness from the time she had been knocked unconscious by Andy's killer. "This isn't good," she thought.
She tried to make out her surroundings through the blinding light. Then she saw it. The swing set. The same swing set where she last spoke with Andy. "This is not happening. Not again," she concluded as denial set in.
A figure in the distant fog began walking towards her. "Andy?" she called out. The figure now stood just a few feet in front of her and she immediately remembered him. It wasn't Andy.
"Why am I here?!" She shouted at him. "I need to get back to Piper and Dr. Griffiths."
He didn't answer her so she continued, this time with more anger and desperation in her voice. "They'll die if you don't send me back NOW!"
This time he did answer. "Dr. Griffiths is already dead," said Death, matter-of-factly.
Prue felt her stomach sink at the realization that she had lost yet another innocent. "No," she whispered. "What about Piper?" Her sister had to be okay. Prue knew she would never forgive herself if anything happened to either of her little sisters.
"Piper is going to live. She's not on my list," Death reassured her.
Prue instantly relaxed and let out a sigh of relief.
"Her name isn't on my list," Death continued, "But yours is, Prue."
Prue wanted to argue against him. She wanted to tell Death that he was wrong. But she sensed with every fiber of her being that he was telling the truth. She suddenly felt a calmness take over the swirling storm of emotions running through her mind. She suspected Death was the cause behind this new feeling, but she didn't fight it.
"They're going to allow you to say goodbye to Piper," explained Death. Prue knew he could only be referring to the Elders. He proceeded, "Just as they allowed Andy to say goodbye to you. That's why they brought you here."
Death began to fade away but not before saying, "I'll be back."
Prue waited by the swing set totally aware that this was going to be her last conversation with her sister. For a moment she wished that Phoebe would be coming too, but she quickly shut down the thought when she grasped that it would mean Phoebe would have to be hurt too in order for her to show up. Prue's thoughts were interrupted when an extremely confused and bewildered Piper appeared on the swing set looking around in every direction until her eyes landed on her big sister. "Where are we?" she questioned.
"Somewhere in between Earth and 'Up There'," Prue answered.
"The last thing I can remember was Shax sending you through a wall and then me," Piper said looking at her sister with concern. "Does this mean we're dead?"
"No. You're going to be fine," Prue said firmly in an attempt to put her sister's worries to rest and more importantly push the thought of her little sister joining her in death out of her own mind.
The fact that Prue had said "You're going to be fine." and not "We're going to be fine." did not go unnoticed by Piper. "You said 'you're,'" Piper stated, the concern in her voice growing more noticeable now.
Prue looked away for a moment as she tried to collect her emotions and remain strong for her sister one last time. She finally found the courage to lock eyes with Piper as she grabbed her hand, "I know. That's because you're going back and I'm not."
Prue saw the tears beginning to form in her sister's eyes and she quickly pulled her into a comforting embrace to try and stop the flood of tears that were coming, but it was like putting a band aid over a crack in the wall of a dam. Piper let out a heart breaking sob and all Prue could do was hold on to her little sister even tighter in response. "Please don't cry," she begged.
"How do you expect me to go on without you?" Piper chocked out through her sobs.
"You'll go on for Phoebe and for Leo," answered Prue, "They need you."
"But I need you," Piper retorted.
"Don't you think I would go back with you if I could?! You think I wanna die at 30 years old?!" Prue spat back in defense.
Piper flinched at her sister's sudden change in tone and the tears came flooding once more.
Prue's rage disappeared just as quickly as it had manifested when she realized that her outburst had hurt her little sister. "I'm sorry, Piper," She said remorsefully as she wiped away her sister's tears.
"This isn't fair," Piper whined as she tried to stifle her sobs. "Don't the elders know that the power of three won't go on without you? They may not give a damn about us, but I know they care about our precious charmed destinies."
"Piper, watch what you say," Prue gently corrected.
"Why? I hope they CAN hear me right now. How could they let this happen!?" Piper felt the rage building up inside of her, and she wanted nothing more than to have the elders right there in front of her so she could give them all a piece of her mind.
"I believe that everything happens for a reason. And you have to believe that too," exclaimed Prue in a desperate attempt to encourage her sister to move on and accept her fate. She knew what would happen if Piper didn't move on. All the loved ones Prue had lost over the years had made her fiercely protective of the ones she still had left, and she put them before her own safety, always. Prue didn't want her younger sister to be so vulnerable and careless with her own life.
Piper felt her presence beginning to slip away from the strange place. Leo must be healing her. She knew her time left with Prue was short, but she wasn't ready to leave. So she held onto her big sister like her life depended on it.
Somehow, both of them knew that the second they let go of each other, Piper would be back on Earth and Prue would have to face Death again.
Prue didn't want to ever let her sister go, but she knew she had to be the one to do it. Piper had to go back. So she slowly pulled away from their embrace and watched as her sister began to disappear. "I love you, Piper. I'm sorry I never said it enough to you and Phoebe."
And just like that, Piper was gone, and Prue found herself staring at Death in the spot where she had been.
"It's time, Prue." He said, simply.
Prue didn't protest this time. Having had the chance to say goodbye, and still feeling relieved that it was just her and not one of her sisters that Death was taking, she reached out and grabbed his hand as they faded away.
The End. I know. I'm terrible. No fluff was promised for this story though.